Colombian authorities will abolish the mandatory nature of mask use in most enclosed spaces from May 1, but the state of emergency will be extended until June 30, President Ivan Duque announced on Monday.
“From May 1, the use of masks will cease to be mandatory indoors, with the exception of health centers, nursing homes, means of transport and indoor areas in educational institutions,” the conservative president explained.
Mr. Duke stressed that this lifting concerns only municipalities where 70% of the population has been fully vaccinated and 40% have received booster doses.
The decision is based on recommendations from the World Health Organization and the Pan-American Health Organization and the progress of the immunization campaign.
To date, 35.40 million citizens (or 69.5% of the population) have been fully immunized, while 11.34 million have received booster doses, according to official data.
As of Sunday, the Latin American country had recorded 139,778 deaths from COVID-19 out of a total of 6.09 million SARS-CoV-2 cases, according to the Department of Health.
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